FF VG900 hands-on !

[joe1946]

It's too bad she doesn't know about the full frame E mount lenses B&H sells for the VG900.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Mount+Type_Sony+E-Mount&ci=1884&N=4292338124+4190025432

Update: She says the E mount Rokinon Cine lenses have an A to E mount adapter built in ! I have not seen them in person but that is not what it says on the B&H lens page :
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/896981-REG/Rokinon_cv24m_nex_24mm_T1_5_Cine_Ed.html



And she uses the 35mm F1.8 APS-C A-mount lens when there is the 35mm F2.0 Zeiss full frame A-mount lens, 35mm T1.5 Rokinon Cine full frame E mount or new Sigma 35mm F1.4 A mount full frame lens.

 

[joker454]

Hey Joe I see you have a really long lens in your sig, how do you support it on your tripod? I ask because I just got a Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 lens to use with my VG900 and the lens is really heavy, so I'm leary of just letting it hang off the camera mount. I use a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod and thought maybe they had an optional very long plate to support both the camera and the lens but haven't been able to find anything long enough. Most of the solutions I google are for dslr cameras where you just mount the lens to the tripod and let the camera hang in the air, but I my VG900 is too heavy for that especially with mic and screen add ons. So how does one support a heavy lens like the one I got along with the video camera?

 

[joe1946]

Hey Joe I see you have a really long lens in your sig, how do you support it on your tripod? I ask because I just got a Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 lens to use with my VG900 and the lens is really heavy, so I'm leary of just letting it hang off the camera mount. I use a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod and thought maybe they had an optional very long plate to support both the camera and the lens but haven't been able to find anything long enough. Most of the solutions I google are for dslr cameras where you just mount the lens to the tripod and let the camera hang in the air, but I my VG900 is too heavy for that especially with mic and screen add ons. So how does one support a heavy lens like the one I got along with the video camera?

Hi Pete, I use the Manfrotto 359 long lens supprt with my VG900 and long lenses. I have used my 430mm F6 Orion EON ED with VG900 without the support without problems and I bet it's just as heavy as the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 .
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554349-REG/Manfrotto_359_359_Long_Lens_Support.html




[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I [/FONT]

 

[joker454]

Ah very cool thx for the link, I'll check it out!

 

[joe1946]

B&H shows the new Sony E PZ 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS (APS-C) power zoom lens available for pre-order .
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/913563-REG/sony_selp_18200_18_200mm_f_3_5_6_3_pz_oss.html

Originally offered only as a kit lens for the new NEX-VG30 camcorder introduced this past fall, the new SELP18200 powered telephoto zoom lens will now be available for purchase as a stand-alone lens.Designed for serious videographers, the high-quality lens offers a generous 11x magnification range and whisper-quiet power zoom mechanics, focusing and aperture operation. This allows for smooth cinematic transitions when adjusting zoom level or manual settings during shooting. It features a comfortably positioned zoom lever that works with a switch on the lens barrel, allowing zoom speed to be selected in three different steps – from slow, beautiful shifts in perspective to dramatic crash-zoom effects. Zoom can also be controlled directly from compatible NEX-VG900, NEX-VG30 and NEX-FS700 (requires firmware update) video cameras.
The new lens also has built-in Optical SteadyShot™, which cuts the effects of camera shake and minimizes camera blur while shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds. Additionally, Active Mode further enhances stabilization at the wide end of the 11x zoom range ensuring smooth, stable footage even if the shooter is in motion.

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2013/...ount-lenses-20-2-8-and-new-18-200-power-zoom/




http://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/lenses/sony_e_18-200_pw/specification

 

[joe1946]

The VG900 lets you record in AVCHD in FX (24 Mb/s) or FH (17 Mb/s) quality in 60i or 24p, but you also can shoot 60p in PS (28 Mb/s). If you don't want to be held back by the compression limitations of AVCHD, the VG900 also features Clean HDMI output, which allows you to capture 4:2:2 ProRes or Avid DNxHD files, depending on your external recorder. (It's not clear whether the files are 8-bit or 10-bit, but my best guess is 8-bit.) This is a big deal for filmmakers who want to do more grading work in post.

Unlike a DSLR, but like most camcorders, the VG900 has a seesaw lever that allows slow and smooth zooms that are more suitable for professional doc or ENG-style shooting. What's also cool is that the camera can switch automatically from full-frame operation to APS-C mode when E-mount or A-mount DT lenses are attached.

Because focus is much more difficult on the VG900's full-frame sensor, proper monitoring is one of the most important features. Sony is offering a new XGA OLED viewfinder with an eye sensor that engages the EVF when you place your eye close to the viewfinder. Although it's not an optical viewfinder, the EVF has super-high resolution at 2,359,000 dots. The camera also has a touch-screen LCD screen, which I wasn't crazy about, but with smartphones and tablets, it's a trend that's probably here to stay. For shooting daylight exteriors, you'll definitely want to use the EVF. I also made great use of the VG900's histogram for proper exposure and Peaking function for focus.

And if you're not crazy about the LCD screen, Sony now offers a nice five-inch LCD external monitor, the CLM-V55, that contains 800x480 resolution, Peaking, a tiltable adapter, a headphone jack for monitoring sound, an innovative pop-out LCD hood, a control dial for various picture adjustments and much more. The LCD retails for $399, which is around $100 cheaper than other monitors in its class.

For shooting in 24p, the VG900 has a new CinemaTone Gamma preset that will give you more control during color grading. Most filmmakers will ignore the camera's gimmicky Picture Effects, but CinemaTone is a feature that might make the VG900 a good selling point for cinematographers. I did a test with CinemaTone both on and off, and although subtle, the CinemaTone did look a touch flatter and more film-like, although it's probably not going to increase your dynamic range like Technicolor's CineStyle Picture Profile for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. I also wouldn't compare it to S-Log or REDCODE RAW. But like Canon Log, since it's just a filter, it won't have any effect on the size of your file. Although it's nice to have, I wish Sony engineers would have pushed CinemaTone a little further to increase dynamic range. But I would still recommend using it over the Standard look because it definitely has more of a film-like look.

For even more control and the option of using professional-quality shotgun and lavalier microphones, the VG900 offers a new Multi-Interface Shoe that will provide compatibility with Sony's new XLR-K1M adapter kit, which adds a high-quality mono shotgun mic and two pro-standard XLR connections. This now goes beyond the capabilities of any DSLR on the market for single-system sound. The K1M is a great piece of gear, and the Sony ECM-XM1 mic is from their professional audio line, so the sound quality also was excellent. The XLR connectors lock tight to the cables, and once set, the control dials are protected by a flip-down screen. My only beef with the system is that the microphone comes as a package with the adapter and you can't purchase the two separately. The system runs $799, which is pretty steep if you already have a good shotgun microphone. Hopefully, there will be enough of an outcry from customers forcing Sony to offer the K1M and XM1 as separate purchases.

Oh, did I mention that the VG900 can capture 24.3-megapixel stills with RAW support?

The retail price of the VG900 is $3,299. Yes, this is expensive for a consumer camcorder, but the VG900 isn't your everyday consumer camcorder. I wouldn't go as far to say that the VG900 should replace your NEX-FS100 and certainly not the FS700, but being in the same price category of a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nikon D800, the VG900 is a no-brainer if you're using your camera primarily for motion capture.

http://www.hdvideopro.com/gear/came...medium=email&utm_campaign=HDVPeNewsJan_012513

 

[L1N3ARX]

Hmm, just found out that Sony has an FF video camera in their lineup below the FS100. Reading the specs, this camera sounded intriguing for moment... until I looked at the samples online. I don't want to prematurely judge this camera... but am I missing something here? Everything I've seen so far looks like regular handycam footage or something a step up from my iPhone. I mean, something feels really off with the image. The detail and resolution look very diminished by comparison to just about any relevant camera that's discussed on these forums. Even the 5D seems to show more detail than what I'm seeing here. Maybe I haven't seen the right footage, and I'd totally like to change my opinion about this camera, but as of now I'm almost surprised at how cheap the image looks for a camera this expensive.

I'm kind of curious though, is there some good VG900 footage out there that shows what this camera can do? Is there any reason that someone might go for this rather than chase down a used FS100 for around the same price? I certainly don't want to come off as "bashing" the camera... but this is one of those head-scratchers where I couldn't possibly see how an image like this is worth so much.

 

[joker454]

It seems to be a very polarizing camera, people seem to either love it or think it's total garbage. I happen to love it and it works great for my website use, I posted a sample video link on the previous page of the type of stuff I film. I've used many handycams as well and still own a Sony NX30 that I use for some of my websites but I don't see it possible to get the same kind of look with that camera (or any handycam) as with the VG-900. I haven't used an iPhone video camera so I can't comment if the VG-900 is only a step up from that. I suppose it just depends on your needs, for me it's been a fantastic camera that gives me the very shallow depth of field and nice portrait shots that I need, that can also double as a stills camera when needed.

 

[joe1946]

Hmm, just found out that Sony has an FF video camera in their lineup below the FS100. Reading the specs, this camera sounded intriguing for moment... until I looked at the samples online. I don't want to prematurely judge this camera... but am I missing something here? Everything I've seen so far looks like regular handycam footage or something a step up from my iPhone. I mean, something feels really off with the image. The detail and resolution look very diminished by comparison to just about any relevant camera that's discussed on these forums. Even the 5D seems to show more detail than what I'm seeing here. Maybe I haven't seen the right footage, and I'd totally like to change my opinion about this camera, but as of now I'm almost surprised at how cheap the image looks for a camera this expensive.

I'm kind of curious though, is there some good VG900 footage out there that shows what this camera can do? Is there any reason that someone might go for this rather than chase down a used FS100 for around the same price? I certainly don't want to come off as "bashing" the camera... but this is one of those head-scratchers where I couldn't possibly see how an image like this is worth so much.

The hacked GH2/GH3 have the sharpest footage of all DSLR style cameras under $5,000 but for shallow DOF shots the VG900 is the best of all camcorders IMHO. I have the GH2 but wanted a full frame camera for stills and video with my Pentax K-mount lenses and the VG900 is perfect for that. Bottom line, the VG900 is the first full frame mirrorless that works with almost any APS-C or full frame lens using low cost adapters. Stick a Sony power zoom 16-50 or 18-200 on it and it will have silent AF with 4 stop OSS in APS-C mode for a run and gun setup if you like.

 

[joe1946]

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Alpha E-mount Retractable Zoom Lens

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Alpha E-mount Retractable Zoom Lens

The 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Alpha E-mount Retractable Zoom Lens from Sony is a retractable zoom lens with a focal length range of 24-75mm in the 35mm format equivalency. It covers shooting lengths from true wide angle to standard portrait length and is a great day-to-day type lens, especially since its unique retractability keeps it very compact. When powered on, the lens expands, but in its off position the lens is only 1.2" (30mm) which will fit in your pocket. When expanded, it has a surprisingly large zoom range and access to its dual-function control ring for manual focus and zooming. Its Power Zoom capability in AF mode and Internal Stepping Motor provide, fast, smooth and quiet autofocus which is helpful when shooting video with this lens.
The lens is a Sony E-mount lens that is compatible not only with the NEX cameras but also with the NEX Handycam Camcorders.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892390-REG/Sony_selp1650_16_50mm_F_3_5_5_6_Power_Zoom.html

The built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization system reduces the effect of camera shake which is particularly problematic when tracking moving subjects in video or shooting photos in low-light. The OSS provides approximately 4-stops of shutter speed correction to help create blur-free images no matter the shooting conditions. Four Aspherical elements and one ED element correct for curved perspective at wide-angle lengths and chromatic aberration at telephoto lengths to provide sharp, high contrast imaging across the entire frame. Retractable Design Despite being a zoom lens covering 16-50mm(24-75mm equivalent) focal lengths, this E-mount lens is thin and lightweight thanks to a retracting mechanism that reduces the lens to just 1.2" (29.9 mm). When used on Sony NEX cameras, you have a truly portable camera system. Image Stabilization The built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilization system provides a 4-stop (approximate) shutter speed advantage, making it significantly easier to achieve crisp, blur-free images and video. Power Zoom The Sony 16-50mm Retractable Zoom Lens is the first E-mount lens with an electrically driven zoom mechanism. As soon as the camera is powered on, the lens extends and is instantly ready for shooting. A dual-function control ring is used for both zooming and manual focus. Optics One ED and four Aspherical lens elements correct for curvature of field on the wide-angle side and spherical and chromatic aberration on the telephoto side for beautiful, accurate, high-contrast reproduction across the entire image.

 

[sparky33]

Hmm, just found out that Sony has an FF video camera in their lineup below the FS100. Reading the specs, this camera sounded intriguing for moment... until I looked at the samples online. I don't want to prematurely judge this camera... but am I missing something here? Everything I've seen so far looks like regular handycam footage or something a step up from my iPhone. I mean, something feels really off with the image. The detail and resolution look very diminished by comparison to just about any relevant camera that's discussed on these forums. Even the 5D seems to show more detail than what I'm seeing here. Maybe I haven't seen the right footage, and I'd totally like to change my opinion about this camera, but as of now I'm almost surprised at how cheap the image looks for a camera this expensive.

I'm kind of curious though, is there some good VG900 footage out there that shows what this camera can do? Is there any reason that someone might go for this rather than chase down a used FS100 for around the same price? I certainly don't want to come off as "bashing" the camera... but this is one of those head-scratchers where I couldn't possibly see how an image like this is worth so much.

From what I've seen the VG900 is *very* soft for any shot requiring detail; like a nice wide shot @ F/8. I haven't seen anything impressive from the VG900 from anyone; even the ultra-shallow DOF stuff still is lacking something. I will say I owned the Sony a99 for a month and the video was very mushy, full of moire, blew out highlights too easy, had artifacting and just overall looked very bland.

Be careful out there, as Sony is in full force marketing the a99 as a "video" camera. HDMI clean out, optional XLR adapter, headphone/mic jacks, audio level monitoring etc. but just doesn't deliver the goods as far as image quality. Be sure to watch out for marketing tricks such as very short scenes (I mean really short) with the sun / waterfalls etc. appearing in the frame so you don't notice how bad everything else looks. Lots of time-lapse stuff mixed in with the footage as well; shot in exotic locations.
It's a problem with how Sony is downsampling the image, period. I've seen footage shot to an external recorder that doesn't look any better.

Sorry if this offends any owners, but myself and several others have noticed these things. Also on the VG900 you cannot adjust sharpness / contrast / saturation like you can on the a99 (but sharpness -3 to +3 made NO difference on the a99 - trust me, I tested it extensively). The other knock on the VG900 is the native E-Mount - if you want to use that for glass then you're already in APS-C mode but AF still works. Want to use A-Mount FF lenses? Sorry, no autofocus possible. So why market something as being able to AF in video mode when technically it's impossible to AF in full frame. But I digress. I'd easily spend the little bit extra on a FS-100.
Not that anyone really cares about AF in video mode for serious work anyway - it's the whole "P.T. Barnum" approach from their marketing group that I despise. There is even a Vimeo video floating around where someone mixed in Nikon D800 footage with the Sony a99 - it's painfully obvious which camera took which shot.
My .02.

 

[joker454]

Does anyone have an FS-100 and lives near the Thousand Oaks suburb of LA? I'd love to see that camera in action and compare it to my VG-900. I'm new to this type of camera gear so the VG-900 footage looks great to me, but I'd love to see how much better the FS-100 is as that one gets praised quite a bit. We could record similar scenes and compare them, etc...

 

[joe1946]

The VG900 is perfect for my use since my Panasonic TM700 3MOS 1080p60 camcorder already has better video quality than the JVC GY-HMQ10 4K Compact Handheld Camcorder in a review posted on B&H and I wanted a full frame mirrorless camera for still and 1080p60 video with my Pentax K-mount lenses . The FS100 is a showstopper for me since it's doesn't shoot 24mp full frame stills or FF video , no OLED EVF etc. I also have the GH2 with fast primes like the 25mm F0.95 Nokton.
http://wideopencamera.com/mns-1974/10-reasons-to-hate-the-sony-fs100/
http://www.dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=268

 

[joker454]

Well the VG900 has been perfect for me as well, I love it. But I'm just curious to see the difference in video quality first hand. I've seen videos online from the FS-100 and I just can't see it being such a huge difference to be honest, so naturally I'm puzzled as to why on forums the VG900 seems to be regarded as a piece of garbage whereas the FS-100 is deemed incredible. Hence why I'm hoping I could hook up with someone local and we could film the same scenes with each camera and compare raw footage, maybe then I'd see the difference more. If the FS-100 was dramatically better then cool, I'd sell my VG900 and get an FS-100. It's not like I'm loyal to any camera, but it would be great to actually see the difference first hand as I just don't see it right now.

 

[joe1946]

Here is a photo of my VG900 with Sony 16-50mm power zoom OSS lens I received today. The zoom rocker on the VG900 controls the zoom .

 

[sparky33]

Well the VG900 has been perfect for me as well, I love it. But I'm just curious to see the difference in video quality first hand. I've seen videos online from the FS-100 and I just can't see it being such a huge difference to be honest, so naturally I'm puzzled as to why on forums the VG900 seems to be regarded as a piece of garbage whereas the FS-100 is deemed incredible. Hence why I'm hoping I could hook up with someone local and we could film the same scenes with each camera and compare raw footage, maybe then I'd see the difference more. If the FS-100 was dramatically better then cool, I'd sell my VG900 and get an FS-100. It's not like I'm loyal to any camera, but it would be great to actually see the difference first hand as I just don't see it right now.

Well the FS100 has a native S35 sensor that's optimized for 1920x1080 video and doesn't do lineskipping like the VG900. Perhaps that's why?

 

[joe1946]

BTW the 16-50mm PZ OSS lens retracts when the camera shuts off that makes it very compact for a large sensor camcorder and you have a choice of zoom speeds when using the VG900 zoom rocker switch.

 

[joker454]

Well the FS100 has a native S35 sensor that's optimized for 1920x1080 video and doesn't do lineskipping like the VG900. Perhaps that's why?

I understand the spec differences, I'd just like to see live examples of the type of stuff I film showing the VG900 as a piece of garbage just a step above an iphone, and the same shot showing the FS-100 as an epically good video camera. Like I had said I'm new to this type of camera and want to learn whatever I can, given how much the VG900 is ragged on in forums I thought maybe it was a really bad camera and the only reason I love the video quality is because I don't know any better, having come from handycams. But then I look at shallow dof portrait video samples on the web from both cameras as, well, the difference is no where near as pronounced as people are making it out to be. I realize there is a touch more aliasing on the vG900 footage and in very dark scenes there will be more noise, I understand that and I have seen that as well first hand. But that doesn't make one camera garbage and the other epic. I mean there are already many existing cameras out there that have the same issues of aliasing, moire, noise, etc yet people seem to love them. So maybe I'm missing something here? What are others seeing, because I just don't see it. Like I said I'm leaving an open invitation to anyone near the Thousand Oaks area with an FS-100. I'd love to film some test samples together then I can compare real live footage on the types of stuff I film, maybe then I'd see what y'all are seeing. Because right now I don't, and it's leaving me confused to be honest

 

[joe1946]

 

[joe1946]

When we were asked by STAMOS AE to run a test-drive at the all-new full sensor camcorder Sony VG900, we knew it would be hard to test it on a wedding because of the winter season. This particular inconvience actually led us to interesting paths, since we had the privilege of testing the abilities of Sony's latest, by creating a music video for the great rocker George Gakis ( georgegakis.gr/ ) and his amazing ballad "It Ain't Over Till It's Over". Shot and edited in the minimum available time, since the presentation for the video was really close.Filmed with Sony VG900 by using only a Carl Zeiss 24-70 2.8. More about the world's first full-frame camcorder can be found at stamos.com.gr/product_detail.jsp?prdId=NEX-VG900E&extLang=
We should definitely thank all those at Ioannina city who helped us deliver this in such a short time. Filistron Cafe, Vicky Oikonomou (Epiloges Magazine), Skala Bar and Metropolis Hotel.
And last but not least, a huge thanks to Lina Papadopoulou for her professional attitude at playing the main character of the music video's story.